In the last six weeks, we’ve traveled from coast to coast doing the work that we love, from attending photography conferences in Santa Barbara and Las Vegas, to unplugging for a few days and participating in a marriage retreat in Atlanta that we’ll share more about next week — and, after hours and hours of listening to speakers, having deep, meaningful conversations with our peers about our life’s work and what we stand for, and staying up late into the night like two kids at a sleepover talking about our goals and dreams, we’ve become convinced and convicted, more than ever, to make sure that our business affects people’s lives and changes their marriages. On the heels of such a transformational time in our life, this engagement session couldn’t have come at a more perfect moment.
Jessica and Ryan are two of the sweetest, kindest people we’ve ever met. They’re also some of the bravest. And most humble. Ryan serves in the United States Air Force and will be deployed in a few months and separated from Jessica for the better part of their engagement period. Like all brave men and women in uniform do, they don’t make it seem like a big deal, but it is. We’re so proud of Ryan. Thankful, too. And that led to an interesting conversation on the drive to their engagement session that we think every photographer should have on the way to every session to truly serve their clients as well as they possibly can. Instead of imagining what these images would look like on our blog, we thought about what they’ll look like in Jessica’s hands when she’s at home, and how they’ll hang in Ryan’s barracks when he’s 7,500 miles away. When they’re missing each other, we want them to look at these photos and remember just how happy they are together, how deep their love really goes. And we shot for that. To capture their real, raw emotions. To record their true, authentic love. To make sure that every time we pressed the button, we humbly remembered that we get the pleasure of serving others — especially those who serve us — by putting their loved ones in their hands, on their walls, and in their hearts even when they’re far away.
Jessica and Ryan, we can’t wait for your wedding next year. Until then, you’ll be in our thoughts and prayers. We love you both.
Gear Used for this Shoot: Canon 5D Mark III | Canon 50 1.2 | Canon 70-200 2.8 | Canon 100 2.8 | Entire Gear List